Mumaw wins qualifier for W.Va. Amateur

July 13, 2013

In Ryan Mumaw's case, he's young and making name for himself in the golf world after winning a qualifier Friday at Cacapon State Park for the West Virginia Amateur.

The recent Washington graduate finished 1-over 73 on the course, winning by one stroke over Jeff Harper.

Article Photos

Submitted photoRyan Mumaw stands near the leaderboard after he finished first in Friday’s qualifier for the West Virginia Amateur. The tournament was played at Cacapon State Park. (Submitted photo)

Though weather conditions were not ideal to be on the greens, Mumaw was pleased with his score.

"(It was) pretty good for as rainy and as wet as it was," Mumaw said, adding that it didn't affect him much, except for the ball not rolling the way it normally would.

He stayed almost on par throughout the whole day or better, getting a birdie on Nos. 2 and 6 and being on par for all but three other holes.

He had some familiarity with the course at Cacapon, having played it during his career in high school at Washington.

Mumaw now moves on to play at The Greenbrier for the West Virginia Amateur Championship in August. The tournament is played on two of the resort's three courses.

Though Mumaw has had a chance to play there before, he played The Meadows course. The tournament takes place on the Old White TPC and Greenbrier courses.

"I've seen them before but never played them," he said.

He will be added to a list of golfers who have played tournaments on those greens that includes some prominent names as Sam Snead, who shot his final hole on the Old White TPC course, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson. It's not every day a teenager's name can be said with those.

Practicing at Locust Hill Golf Course, Mumaw will continue to hit rounds to prepare for the coming test of his skills, which haven't let him down so far.

He began competitively golfing in the eighth grade, saying he enjoys the sport because of the challenge it offers and how it makes the golfer think. As a Patriot, he was the No. 1 golfer on the team and came in seventh place in the state tournament his senior year.

Mumaw said that he wanted to win this tournament to help him meet his ultimate goal: playing for the new team at West Virginia University.

"It was my goal because I'm going to WVU, and they don't have a team," he said, noting that when the Mountaineers add golf to the list of their offered sports in 2015, that's where he wants to be playing.

Five others from the Cacapon tournament will join Mumaw in Greenbrier.

Harper, who finished in second a stroke behind Mumaw, and Bobby Jones and Eric Wirth, who tied for third with 76 strokes, will have their chance to take home the title.

The other two spots were determined by a playoff between the five golfers who tied for fifth place with 77 strokes. They included Owen Elliott, Timothy Tedrick, Joshua Arbaugh, Matt Martin and Henry Kayes.